Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/03/11/russias-airborne-dicketry-co.html
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Same thing here in UK at the weekend.
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I want to know what kind of super powers @SeamusBellamy has to get “dicketry” past the autocorrect.
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Apparently it’s normal practice for these Russian long-range flights not to have their transponders turned on (so air traffic control can’t see them). The Tu-142 can also tow a radio antenna up to nine kilometres long.
So it makes sense to have fighters following them just to make sure that ATC knows where they are and can tell civilian traffic to stay out of their way!
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I suspect that it’s not common practice now, but in the 50’s NATO was known for sending large waves of planes towards the NATO/Warsaw Pact border during truly terrible weather, causing the Soviets to have to scramble large numbers of fighters to intercept.
While, like the aircraft above, the NATO aircraft never actually crossed the border, the WP forces were not happy campers as at the time their planes had a lot tougher time handling high winds and ice. I suspect the entire exercise caused a lot of pilots a lot of grey hair on both sides.
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My father was served in Alaska during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Testing our response time was routine but not nice.
The Soviets had longer range fighters. They would come in low into the fiords then pop-up into the radar and run like hell back home. Our part of the “game” was to make sure they did not get home.
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They were in international air space, and didn’t come within 50 miles of the coast. This was very close to being a total non-event.
Does anyone seriously think the Russians are plotting to send bombers over the U.S. to attack U.S. cities or U.S. military targets? They’re concentrating on messing with the election, which they’re doing successfully so far with the help of their U.S. allies. Why would they bother to attack us physically?
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this is for SIGINT
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Yep. Also, as was mentioned in the article, they use this intimidation tactic to sort of push back borders, especially ones in dispute like the North Sea. Sort of like a bully pushing you in the hallway as they walk past. Not enough to hurt you, but maybe cause you to drop your books and feel small.
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This sort of thing has been going on for decades.
The USAF did this to the Soviets with nuclear armed B-52s, 24 hours a day, every day for most of the '60s…
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The Russians are our friends, just ask tRump.
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This has been happening ever since the Russians had planes capable of flying this far.
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It seems like this sort of back and forth goes on all the time. We do it to them, as well. Remember there was a big incident with one of our planes in China back in 2001:
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so you guys actually shot some russian fighters down?
The significant part of that sortie must be that Norway’s F-35s were actually operational long enough to take to the sky and complete a mission.
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About to add that myself. Seems the Russians are playing silly wotsits. That’s all we need in the middle of the coronavirus issue.
I know how to stop this. Load up a suitable plane with a tank of coronavirus laced sticky goo and fly in front of the intruder. Spray liberally. Maybe add hard to remove colouring agents to make it just plain too annoying to bother with.
And since those damned drone things are being touted as a danger to aviation that justifies effectively banning model aircraft, at least get some use out them; fly a wall of them in front of the intruder and let them test how good their engines are at handling FOD.
